Duomo

The Orvieto Duomo is one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in Italy. Only an hour or so north of Rome, most tourists are already dutifully impressed before they even arrive. Seeing the medieval fortress town, as it sits perched atop a promontory of soft volcanic rock—over a thousand feet above the valley below—is a sight not many people will not soon forget. The heart of Orvieto, however, has always been her cathedral. Surprisingly grand for such a small town, it is built of alternating stripes of black and white marble in the Sienese style, work was begun in the late 13th century to house an important relic. And no cost was too great in its construction. From the dazzling mosaics that adorn the façade to the many works of sculpture both on the exterior and interior of the cathedral, some of the greatest names of early Renaissance Tuscan art had a hand in its decoration.